Distributing device



April 18, 1950 R. G. BAILEY DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Fiied Aug. 1, 1947 INVENTOR. ROBERT G. BAILEY BY M Agro/Mfr.

Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNIrl-:o-1 srAr Es PATENT oFfFfl-cE-z l 2,504,797*- Disrnnutrmonnvlonr v Roberti-G.' Bailey, K.jnyosnha,"'Wis".` Applicata@ Agust 1, 19M-,serial Nl); masse-ii;

s Claires." (01.1212754125.

invention relates.; tol distributing? devices emplovedffor spreading r .distributing Seed', limehpsand, fertilizerkor the like over the surface 0r ground.

berill, dated Junele, 1946... Y

,In the; distribution of fertilizer, lime or the mined; :pathand avoid the, possibilityA of lumps or c congestedportions of material being depositedpolnto the lawn, Athereby providing -tooY .much

material" at r,certain spots, which lmight prove detrimental; L

The device; illustrated; specifiedv and claimed herein v,provides ameansof insuring anr even dis-VV tribution` ofwhatever.. material or product is being.distributed;r and provides va means of breaking..iup A4any :particles :that may accumulate at' the; 'further' endA .of the. enclosure.

,Other` and further objects of. my invention will;V be further brought out and-will be `more fullyi:

described,. reference. being had to the accompanying drawing in which .l *y

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the back ofy the devicaand Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-'sectional View of the device shown in Figure .1, taken at the line 2 2 therein; Y

4Sim-ila'r-"characters of reference indicate'ccrrespending' parts Y throughout the' several y views, andreferringnow to tnesama- I show a tubularl enclosure identified by the character I0 which is provided at one ofits ends' with 'a T arrangement'- I I which vopens intoa ferrule I2 extending' upward and acts as a receiving unit for the bottom of a hopper member shown as I3. The tubular enclosure IIJ is shown provided with inserts I4 which are preferably of hard wood or the like and which act as bearings for a shaft or axle shown as I5 which extends longitudinally through the entire tubular enclosure I0 and the horizontal portion of the T member Ii, This shaft I5 supports a pair of wheels I6 which may be of any type and are shown as provided with rubber tires II and the axle or shaft I5 is provided with a plurality of apertures shown as I 8 which extend through the shaft I5 and are adapted for receiving a Cotter pin or the like shown as I9.

There is a spiral screw structure attached to the shaft I5 and made an integral part thereof, and me oeiec'roft an'rnisl in mesaf I5` is to permit the movement of the "shaft I,5 A

in either direction .whichvwilldirectly 'affectthe ends of the axle I5 by keys shownas 2 Iy sothat the revolving of the-.,wheelsni. will 'also have .-a

l0'I 'likagover sailor lawn,l itis, imperative that the. product be ,distrbutedevenly over a prc`dete1.-

the enlargement offered by the. elongated'apen;vvv

U ture 23 over the.v diameter 'ofthe'ffslot 22 permit-slr farther endof the tubular enclosure'zl. y v.

The tubular.enclosure.y IIJ' is provided with anE elongated slot 'shown as 2,2 extendingV its entire length and hasat its .farther'len'd away*fromA thehopper, I 3 an elongatedlaperture shcwvnasl 23. vTheobje'ct of theapeiture' 23Y beingvto per.'-y niit the. productwhich rnay'xhave..accumulatedin" lumps or congested -portionsto be conveyed by means ofv the spiral screw.' 20 to the farther` end of the tubularenclosure. IU to' be dispensed;

these lumpsto be dispensed.

centrally between thesp'iralsections of the screw-` 2Q so that when the"congestedpartor lumpsi.

Ifthel Yspiral wire or` breaking"member y2 4 will; break up these lumps andcause them tobedis'-V integrated so thatfthey willbe broken into small? e dispensed through the? erportions thatA may j elongated 'Y aperture"v 2311 l l". also show a pair of band members 25 dis-4 posed around the outer peripheral surface of thel tubular member IB and provided with a screw shown as 21 which is employed to support two handle portions 28 so that the entire device may be manually pushed or caused to be propelled over the surface, or the attaching band membersmay be employed for supporting link members which attach the device to a lawn mower or the like, whether it be manually operated or mechani-` cally operated, it making it possible to distributeV the product immediately behind the mower as the grass is being cut.

From the description it is manifest to anyone familiar with the art that the device is very simple in construction and has but very few com-f` ponent 'parts and the arrangement of the parts is such that it would permit positive operation and function for the purpose for which it is intended.

While I have herein shown a particular construction of the parts, I do not wish to limit myself to the specific construction shown, for in the construction of the device it is possible to make many changes which would not in any way affect the operativeness of the device and would keep it within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a hopper, a tubular member extending outward from the bottom of said hopper, a horizontal tube, said tube engaging the lower end of said hopper outlet, bearings inserted into the open ends of said tube, a shaft supported within said bearings, said shaft longitudinal and centrally disposed within said tube, said tube provided with a longitudinal slot terminating into an elongated aperture through the wall of said tube, a spiral member attached to said shaft, a pair of wheels mounted to said shaft outside of said tube, said wheels arranged to rotate said shaft and spiral member, and a spirally disposed breaker member supported at one end by a washer member rotatably supported by said shaft at the point farthest from said hopper, said breaker having its depending Vend inwardly disposed and central of the spiral portion of said spiral member, and means attached to the outer ends of said tubular member for attaching said device to a lawn mower or handle so that it may be propelled over a surface.

2. A device of the character described ccmprising a longitudinal tubular enclosure open at both ends, bearings inserted into the open ends, an axle shaft longitudinally disposed within said tube, said shaft slidably journaled within said bearings, a hopper, said hopper provided with'an outlet at its lower end, said tubular member provided with an inlet'through its upper wall near one of its ends, the inlet to said tube arranged for receiving the outlet of said hopper, a spiral member attached to and projecting outward radially from said axle shaft, saidspiral member of a length shorter than the space between said bearings, said spiral member extending outward to a point near the inner face of said tube, a pair of wheels mounted to the ends of said axle, said Y wheels keyed to said axle, both of said wheels slidably attached to said axle, a plurality of apertures provided with pins extending through said axle to permit slidable longitudinal adjustment and support of said axle in said bearings, a longitudinal slot extending through the wall of said tube, an elongated apertureof a diameter greater than that of said slot at the extreme end of said slot,

4 l and a spirally disposed breaker member rotatably supported by said shaft at a point near the inward end of one of said bearings in said tube adjacent said elongated apertures, said breaker member arranged for spiral engagement between the spiral portions of said spiral member, attaching means on the outer surface of said tubular member, said attaching means disposed for engagement with a handle or link members for attachment to a mower or the like.

Y 3. A dispensing device of the character described comprising an elongated tubular enclosure open at both ends, said enclosure provided with a longitudinal slot through its Wall, said slot terminating into an elongated aperture of a diameter greater than said slot at one of its ends, bearings mounted into the open ends of said tube, an inlet port through the wall of said tube at the opposite end from said elongated slot, a hopper member, said hopper member open at its upper end and provided with a tubular'outlet at its lower end, the outlet of said hopper member disposed for engagement with the inlet port in said tubular member, an axle shaft longitudinally disposed within said tube and slidably journaled in said bearings, a spiral member attached to and forming an integral part of said axle shaft, said spiral member extending radially outward from said shaft to a point near the wall of said tubular member, said spiral member of a length shorter than the space between the bearings within said tube, a pair of wheels, said wheels slidably mounted to the ends of said axle, said wheels keyed to said axle, a plurality of apertures dissed near the end of said axle, pins arranged for engagement with said axle, said pins and apertures arranged for slidably moving said axle within said tubular casing between said bearings, a spirally disposed breaker member attached to a member mounted on saidshaft at a point farthest f from said hopper, said breaker member arranged ,REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IY'ENTS- Number Name Date 660,600 Taplin Oct. 30, 1900V 1,258,515 Wills Mar. 5, 1918 1,792,577 Eastman 1 Feb. 17, 1931 1,891,565 May et al. Dec. 20, 1932 Masters 1 June 6, 1933 

